{Our Gardenias are Blooming}

On Sunday we had again a full bowl of fresh gardenias from our garden.

Even though they do show some bruise marks from the extremely heavy rain we had for a couple of days.

This Wedgwood Cream Color on Cream Color Centerpiece is perfect for displaying them...

Here you can see the Wedgwood Centerpiece with its foot.

Are you also enjoying any Gardenias from your garden?

Thanks for stopping by!

{New York City Police Department on Harley-Davidson}

On August 29, 2015 we walked to the Grand Hyatt New York for a coffee/tea break at their Starbuck's restaurant in the main lobby.

Just in front of the hotel we spotted these two NYC policemen on their Harley-Davidson.

You can read the sign with Grand Hyatt above the white van...

Grand Hyatt is also next to the Grand Central Terminal, so that would be a great location to stay!

We were at the Hyatt Place New York/Midtown-South which was not that far away either.

Thanks for your visit!

{Phallus Impudicus or Stinkhorn}

On December 18, right at our front door entrance Pieter did show me this perfect Phallus impudicus or Stinkhorn.

This perfect Phallus impudicus was discovered just in time!
There are other mushrooms growing nearby.

This photo shows how it looks after Pieter dug it up

It sure does resemble a Phallus...
And in reply to some questions: YES it stinks and has a very foul odor.
On this video you can see how some of these many Phallus species mature, bursting open and releasing their foul odor to attract flies, that will carry their sticky spores...
Dictyophora duplicata and Phallus ravenelii, stinkhorn mushrooms ←just click the link.
The beginning of this Phallus mushroom, a kind of egg form, is considered a delicacy however!
You can see that here in this video: The Common Stinkhorn, Phallus impudicus ←click it.

Yep, just next to the walkway leading up the steps to our front door!
Mushrooms will keep following us for the rest of our lives...

{Zuccotti Park with 4 World Trade Center NYC}

On August 28 of 2015, we also did visit in New York City, the Zuccotti Park with 4 World Trade Center

The famous Joie de Vivre sculpture in red painted steel by Mark di Suvero is seen in the front.
To the right you see the One Liberty Plaza, formerly the U.S. Steel Building.
And in the center you see the tall, new 4 World Trade Center just click on link for more info.

Interesting to watch the short 2 minute Official 11 Year Time-Lapse Movie of One World Trade Center by clicking this pink hyperlink.

This was such an impressive area!
Contrary to the belief of many Europeans, those are not 'flats' (Dutch for high rise) for living but purely office buildings!

Thanks for your visit

{Castanopsis Cuspidata (Japanese Chinquapin) Japanese Shii}

Around mid-April our very special tree, the evergreen Castanopsis cuspidata (Japanese Chinquapin) Japanese shii, started blooming.

You can click the pink hyperlink for information...

This photo is actually from April 26, where it is already in full bloom!

As for its name Japanese Shii, it is related to the famous Shii-take mushrooms

'Shii' is the name of the tree that usually hosts the mushroom. The tree belongs to the Birch family. 'Take' means the mushroom fruit...

Screenshot is taken from: Medical Mushrooms.net just click it.

The above information you can find: Castanopsis cuspidata (Japanese Chinquapin; Japanese shii by clicking on the hyperlink.

There is very limited information about this very special tree.

You can find more here: Castanopsis cuspidata

These are the flowers (catkins?) about mid April as they start opening up.

The tree seems to be related to beech and oak!

Looking somewhat hairy but very special!

This is on April 26, the Japanese Chinquapin is partly seen to the right of the tall 'Magnolia Namnetensis Flore Pleno', so you have an idea where it is.

Now I'm stepping back, across the road for an overview. 
Our Golden Live Oak 'Quercus Virginiana Grand View Gold is partly seen next to the big Magnolia.

Walking back to the Japanese Chinquapin...

Again, these photos are from April 26 and the flowers start already looking dark.

Except for areas with less direct sunlight.

It is a very unusual and exotic looking tree!

Have you ever seen, or heard of this Castanopsis cuspidata, Japanese Chinquapin or Japanese shii?

Hope you enjoyed this introduction!

Thank you for your visit and time.

Related link:

{RARE Icicles in Our Garden} | showing you this Japanese Chinquapin with icicles on!
Castanopsis cuspidata (Thunb.) Schottky | Common names: Japanese tanbark oak; ita-shii (Japanese) and its Pharmaceutical interest

{How Georgia Peanuts get Harvested}

The way we both bike, in the quiet and rural area, it is also quite interesting to observe the different crops growing along the road.

Now the cotton is being seeded and before that, there were Peanuts growing.

From their harvest on October 22, husband Pieter took some photos with his iPhone 4S, which I love to share with my readers.

You can click the pink hyperlink for more info...

The entire world knows peanuts; right?
This is the actual plant and the peanuts grow underground, hence the word groundnut being used in several countries.

But HOW they get harvested is another story...

Here in Georgia, the biggest peanut producing state in the USA, we produce some 2.4 billion pounds annually! 

That's a LOT of peanuts, and lots of that is for export of course.

Here they are harvesting the peanuts.

It is not actually a true nut but a member of the legume family!

That is LOTS of peanuts!

The farmer is leveling out the top...

Of course there is lots of spill on the corners where they turn the machine.

Wildlife will be feasting on them!

A close up...

 Have you ever seen peanut plants on the field or peanuts being harvested?

It is always interesting to be outdoors; so much to see and to learn from.

{Saint Patrick's Cathedral NYC}

When in New York City, you have to bend backwards quite a lot for capturing all the tall buildings. Such was the case for this magnificent Saint Patrick's Cathedral. For United States standards, this is quite an old, historic building. The cornerstone of St. Patrick’s Cathedral was laid in 1858 and her doors swept open in 1879. If you click on the above hyperlink, you can read more about its history.

We were so very lucky on August 28 of 2015 with the weather we had!

Sure, we would love to go back to this marvelous city on an equally beautiful day.

Have you visited New York City?

Thanks for your visits.

{Trump Tower 5th Ave NYC}

Back to our trip to New York City on August 28, 2015...

So many things have happened in-between that I never had time to work these photos in.

BUT, with the world-wide media coverage about Presidential Candidate Donald J. Trump, guess it is about time that I show them!

I've taken this photo of the TRUMP TOWER, with my iPhone 6 Plus, from the bus... 

Wish they would have given us time to get inside!

We'll have to go back again and explore this fascinating city a bit more in depth.

Provided, Pieter's knee will get somewhat better so he can endure the walking.

This all-glass structure got completed in 1983, the year that we came to the USA. 

Inside there are luxury condominiums, offices, stores and restaurants and yes, having a cappuccino there for a break would have been great!

You can also find Trump Tower New York on Face Book, just click the pink hyperlink.

Has any of you had the privilege of dining or having a cup of coffee/tea inside one of the Trump Tower restaurants?

Related links:

DonaldTrump saved my family: Widow's daughter recalls how The Donald paid off hermom's $300,000 mortgage after her father committed suicide | Daily Mail UK about a Georgia widow in 1986 (yes, from my state!)

Watch at min. 0:55 where Oprah said: This sounds like political, Presidential talk to me... A 42-year young Donald J. Trump

{Time for Biking}

SO very happy that again we both find time to bike together on our new Schwinn Bikes!

Today we together took off, bikes on the bike rack of our Toyota RAV4, to a reasonable flat area where we could bike.
We do live in the Holly Hills subdivision, so that explains a lot!

This photo is from August 1, 2015 when I just got my new white Schwinn bike!

It took us almost one month and lots of mileage for getting it...

A horror story from K-Mart with once the wrong one sent and not willing/able to deliver to the local store but one hour driving distance away.

But finally it came!

Here, Pieter put it on our bike rack, behind our Toyota RAV4.

Yes, I opted for this white Schwinn Discover 700c Womens Bike with 21 speeds

It is in aluminum and weighs only 45.6 lbs or 20.7 kg

Spokes are steel...

I loved the color white!

It made me very happy!

The only negative aspect is that now we have the bike rack mounted on the back of our Toyota RAV4 and loading and unloading when we do shopping with this one (rarely!) is a bit tricky...

I literally have to hang over the seat (after the head support has been pulled off) and hand things to Pieter...

So here we go; both bikes on the bike rack!

This photo is from October 30, 2015 when we still could ride our bikes.

Pieter holding my Schwinn and his Schwinn (not aluminum and thus a bit heavier).

We park our Toyota RAV4 and cycle in a more flat and quiet area, hardly any traffic!

Left there were peanuts before and now cotton is being sown.

Pine trees on the other side... In the distance you can se our white Toyota RAV4 being parked.

We only paddled some 9 km or 5 mi and that is enough for an 87-year old heart patient! Even for me, building up my leg muscles again from too much sedentary life lately. We take twice a rest and drink water.

But it sure feels great for being surrounded by nature and for using your muscles!

Those pine trees will eventually get cut for the pulp wood industry.

Last week when Pieter wheeled by himself, he saw this snake on the road, being run over by a car...

When we got home around 5:00 PM it still was 32°C or 90°F

Related link:

{My Whtie Schwinn Bike} | My previous Schwinn Bike that I sold on Craigslist, also Pieter's as it did not have as many speeds and thus was too hard in our hilly region.

{Mom Did Wear Many Hats}

Indeed, during her lifetime, Mom did wear many hats.

She was above all a loving Mom, a devoted and submissive wife, a cook, a seamstress, a great housekeeper, and a very hard working partner working in the greenhouses and on the fields; harvesting vegetables and fruits.

The list could go on and on...

For readers from foreign countries who are maybe not familiar with the English saying of 'Wearing many hats', it means a person has different roles or tasks to perform.

Just because Mom made MANY sacrifices during her life time, being a Mom to a large family of 8, of which 7 survived, she NEVER could go on vacation.

So it was a joy for offering her four times this luxury for being able to fly off, across the Atlantic Ocean from The Netherlands to Georgia, USA.

Dad did come a total of six times and Pieter and I did pay for six of their ten roundtrip plane tickets. 

Mom & Dad have been escorted on March 20, 1996 by a dear friend of us who also was flying back from the Netherlands to Atlanta, Georgia!

The very first time, in April of 1987, they flew over together with both of us.

This photo was taken two days after she arrived in 1996.

Mom did not have to cook, clean, launder or do anything.

That is visible in her face; feeling very happy and pampered.

Mom was taken by the lady that gathered outfits for her, and who also did her hair and put lipstick on.

Meanwhile the clever photographer asked me to jot down some basic words in Dutch, for him to use - like 'chin up' - smile etc.

Mom LOVED it that he spoke her language and was so happy about the 'ease' of working with this clever guy. It is quite noticeable in these photos.

She even looks a bit mischievous in my opinion...

Both trips I took alone with Mom, just Mother & Daughter, for having those Glamour shots made and one week later, on April 4, to pick up the one photo that we selected on a computer screen, with several smal ones.
The above photos are taken from small sizes.
When we got home with our photos, Dad was very amazed and had to look at them, over and over...

In my leather bound journal I wrote on Tuesday, April 16 of 1996 that in the evening our friends arrived for coffee with dessert as a farewell to Mom & Dad.
The hit of the evening was my Mom with her Glamour shots!
They found she looked like a movie star and Uncle Bo found Mom now very worth while instead of another 'Mariet'...
Everyone found she also looked younger now than in 1987.
Dad got very quiet... he always had been used to being the center of attention, especially when he sang a solo as a first tenor.
It was great that Mom for once was the center of attention!

Next day we had one last breakfast together and drove to Atlanta to check in World Business class on our courtesy card with KLM Royal Dutch Airlines.
They were even that courteous for letting all four of us into the shared Lufthansa lounge.
Than came a very emotional goodbye, especially Mom was tearful.
The day before she mentioned that those photos were the most beautiful gift she'd ever received...
I did listen to her video tape where she did mention it at the end of that evening with our friends.
She was so very happy.
Fond memories around Mother's Day!

Yes, I too had one photo taken during that session with Mom...
 ~
Mom used to wear always a hat to Church when I was a girl, there still was a real millinery in my home town where I loved to peak inside the window.
Maybe that's where my fondness of hats originated from.
At least these pictures do remind me of my Mom when I was a girl.
Hope you enjoyed them too.
Wishing all those that still are fortunate to have their Mom around, a very Happy Mother's Day and also to those that are a Mom themselves.
For each of us it is a day filled with memories, that live inside our hearts forever.
I have been blessed with a sweet Mom and today when I watched the video, I've laughed a lot; so many fun things with lots of humor too.

Here this photo was taken by my Dad as I mostly video taped things.
Mom is waving goodbye, from the Chattanooga Choo Choo, a train in Tennessee from 1880.
So many farewells, for the 4 times that Mom came to the US and for the 64 times that we came to The Netherlands...

This is just 6 months after Mom & Dad went home and we went to Church in the morning, made this photo and then left for the airport on our 42nd trip to The Netherlands.
Me, looking happy for getting to see my Mom again!

Until it was that one final time...

They are not gone who live in the hearts of those they leave behind.

- Native American Saying

{Mom Lived 16 Days Short of Her 91st Birthday} showing Mom's writing in our guest book

Mom got called MOVIE STAR for once she was the CENTER of ATTENTION! | later post by me with video...